Initially plastic surgery procedures were limited to facialand body reconstruction caused by accidents, trauma, illnessor birth defects. As people began to see the purely cosmeticpossibilities, many surgeons expanded their services toinclude facelifts, rhinoplasty (nose jobs), breastaugmentation and liposuction.It's important to know the difference between plasticsurgery and cosmetic surgery, especially if you're planningon having your insurance company foot the bill for yourprocedure.

Cosmetic surgery is performed solely to improve a person'soutward physical appearance and self-esteem by correctingnaturally occuring conditions that the patient is unhappywith. Cosmetic surgery may be performed by either a PlasticSurgeon or a Cosmetic Surgeon. Cosmetic surgery is generallynot covered by health insurance.Reconstructive plastic surgery is performed to correct orreduce the effects of congenital defects, accidental traumainjury, infections, tumors, and other health-relatedconditions. It's primary purpose is rarely to simply improveappearance except for extreme cases involving major facialor bodily damage resulting from automobile accidents, etc.Plastic Surgery may only be performed by a Plastic Surgeon.In most cases insurance does pay for plastic surgeryalthough there are some cases where your claim may bereduced or denied completely. That's why it is alwaysimportant to coordinate the planned procedure with yourhealth insurance provider BEFORE you get the procedure.

Often times the difference between whether or not yourinsurance company will cover the bill is the REASON for theprocedure. If, for example, you are having your nosereshaped because you're unhappy with your profile -- nodeal. You're on your own. However, get that same nose jobbecause your doctor has diagnosed a chronic breathingproblem that results in the potentially dangerous conditionknown as "Sleep Apnea" and you could end up with a new nosecourtesy of your health insurance provider!If you are planning to visit a Plastic Surgeon, keep thefollowing items in mind:Your plastic surgeon should be "Board Certified" by theAmerican Board of Plastic Surgery;If your doctor will be using anesthesia then make sure thatonly a licensed Anesthesiologist administers the medicineand make sure that the facility where the procedure is beingperformed is accredited by at least one of the followingorganizations:American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory SurgeryFacilities(AAAASF)Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)Joint Commission on Accreditation of HealthcareOrganizations (JCAHO)Although making sure that all of these certifications arepresent is no guarantee acrylic bottle of a trouble-free experience, NOThaving these certifications means that both the doctorperforming plastic surgery, as well as the people who runthe facility, have a serious lack of regard for your healthand well being! You should NEVER use an uncertified plasticsurgeon or facility. The risk is simply not worth it.There are 11 questions you should ask when contemplating cosmetic surgery. View them and related information on Mike Jones' health body & beauty site. Click here: